Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds" is a strange title for a film that steals your heart and fills your soul with the wonder of the indomitable spirit of humanity that we seldom experience. Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent who flashes his badge to gain entrance into the lives of seven strangers. He knows all there is to know about these strangers and he treats them with extreme unkindness and abusive language until the day he encounters a young woman (Rosario Dawson) with a serious heart condition. Her remarkable demeanor and resignation have an immense impact on Ben who finds himself falling in love with her. To reveal more of the story would diminish it. Will Smith is such an engaging and charismatic presence but the impact of this film comes from the outstanding soul searching performance of Rosario Dawson. The plot is not told in a linear fashion and often requires a certain suspension of belief, but as the story unfolds it will carry you over those moments. Directed by Gabriele Muccino and co starring Barry Pepper, Michael Ealy and Woody Harrelson this is a story of true love. Surrender to the moment and experience a wonder you will not soon forget.

4 Out Of 5 Stars!

Valkyrie

Valkyrie was a movie I was anxious to see and I found it fascinating and did justice to the little known story of Count Claus von Stauffenberg, a proud, aristocratic and loyal soldier in the Third Reich caught up in the plot to kill Hitler. The film opens in North Africa, and by this time, Colonel Stauffenberg, (Tom Cruise), has been decorated with many awards including the Iron Cross, but disillusionment has set in. Although he has served Germany well, he feels he can serve Hitler no longer. From the beginning he has always been a "reluctant Nazi" never fully embracing such things as Kristallnacht or the disasterous invasion into the Soviet Union. The mass executions of Jews, Poles, Russians, he finds completely abhorrant and repugnant. The film is set on course, when Stauffenberg, bitterly resentful, returns to Berlin to recuperate from wounds. The leading Generals urge him to join in the Resistance Movement. Stauffenberg's acceptance solidifies Operation Valkyrie into an audacious plot that if successful, will end World War II and remove Hitler from power. The film is as intense as any thriller I have seen, although the outcome is well known. The ensemble cast of the Generals is played by such notable actors as Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Terence Stamp. The acting is superb by all including Carice van Houten as Stauffenberg's wife, Nina. Tom Cruise's performance should restore most of the star's former luster. In this film he is clearly the lead, but plays the Colonel with thoughtful certitude and a reserve that proves he can still deliver a powerful intelligent performance. Disenchanted fans will certainly welcome him back. Four out of five stars.

Paul Blart * Mall Cop

The only reason this one got two stars instead of just one is because I like Kevin James. He's a funny guy who you just want to root for. That said, this movie is lazy and lame. The few funny scenes were used in the trailers (I hate that) and the thin premise of a plot in which a gang of what seem to be best described as ninja-skateboard dudes try to rip off a shopping mall after the black friday holiday tells you all you need to know. A second grade student could take that setup and write a similar story to what transpires in this movie. James is charming and the scenes of him scurrying about on a Segway scooter are cute but overused. Predictable and mindless, I could not recommend this dud to anyone other than rabid Kevin James fans. I'm a big fan and I didn't like it if that tells you anything. This is one holiday gift that should be returned to the mall for a refund. Yuk! Two stars out of five.

New Movie Reviews- Taken

Ok it's time to update this blog with some new movie reviews. Let's get started.



It is what it is. I hate clichés, but I can't think of another way to describe Taken. It's a 93-minute cliché. It's an action movie that tries to add drama through a plot where a father attempts to track down his daughter's kidnappers. That's it. What makes an action movie great are twists. Taken doesn't have any. It's as straightforward as action films get. Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a retired spy who missed out on most of his daughter's childhood. Now, with a year before she goes to college, he is hoping to reconnect with her. She wants to go to Paris for the summer with a friend instead. The opening act tries to show us the disconnect between Mills and his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). It's mildly effective, but Grace's bad acting detracts from each scene. Grace is too old, 25, for the part of a 17-year-old girl. She's not believable and tries so hard to play down to the role. It was a poor casting choice.........Two stars out of five.